Patio Transformation Part 2

 

The next piece of the patio changes consisted of making a stencil for the old, wrinkled, wooden flooring. 

Although we have plans to replace the flooring at some point, we decided not to do it yet, but instead to make do with what is there.  Besides I was really wanting to do a floor stencil after seeing one I liked on Pinterest!

Glenn noticed that the design I pinned was scaled in a 1/8th repeat.  So after we discussed how big to make the entire stencil,  deciding on 36 inches square, he marked the center and edges on the huge piece of cardboard that the nice people at Menards let me have.

Here he is marking it out, with Alix’s help, and my iPad with the picture of the Pinterest stencil nearby, while I helpfully take pictures.

 

 

The lady on Pinterest whose design I liked, had taped off her stencil with clear tape to provide a laminate for the cardboard.  This helped keep the edges from curling and messing up the design as it absorbed the paint.  Although I didn’t have clear tape, I had this pretty red tape.

I have stenciled before, but never taped around it like this and it made a huge difference.  It was a little time consuming to tear off pieces of tape small enough to bend around my stencil’s curves, but when it came to actually painting the stencil onto the patio, I was really glad I had. The laminated cardboard worked like a dream!

 

 

Before applying the stencil, I prepared the wood by using a sharp, flat blade to remove the loose paint. (I think my blade was actually a drywall knife! Shhh!  Don’t tell Glenn!)  Then I sanded lightly with a hand sander, before using a broom to sweep the floor.  I swept it 4 times, alternating the direction I was going to try to remove as much dirt as possible.  But since I was going for a rustic look, I didn’t wash the wood, or try to get every smudge or drop of paint off of it that didn’t come off with the blade.

Then, using a midget sponge roller and oil-based Zinsser primer, I painted the stencil!

Although it dried within a few hours, I wanted to let it cure for a couple of days.  So even though we put the furniture back on the patio, we were careful to place the chairs and picnic table around the stencil for now.  We’ve all tip-toed around them to let them dry thoroughly.

 

 

So the patio transformation is almost complete! 

The only piece left is to hang some curtains in the corners.  As soon as I do, I’ll show you what they look like.

 

Here are a couple of before (as in, last Spring!) and after shots of the patio to date.  Enjoy!

 

      

          

 

        

          

 

And here’s a fun comparison of the back of the house:  the day we took ownership on March 12, 2012, and yesterday!

 

 

We feel so very blessed to be here.

Every day, I look out a window and thank God for His kindness to us.

Back Patio Transformations

the Patio Project..

 

On a chilly day this March, I went outside with a crowbar.

I positioned one of the picnic benches just so, reached overhead and started pulling down the 1960’s era vinyl panels on the patio ceiling. I also took down the old, ugly, hung-so-low-you-bumped-your-head-on-it white ceiling fan which was uncomfortably positioned just after you stepped down from the slightly crooked concrete steps on the way outside.

Underneath, I found tongue in groove paneling that looked practically brand new!  It wasn’t a total surprise, since I had tried to peek underneath the vinyl panels a few times already. But I was so happy it all looked this good!

Using a thick nap rolling brush, I primed it all twice, then painted 2 coats of white porch paint to finish it off.

 

After that, progress on the patio moved slowly. 

It was cold. 

It rained alot. 

And I started other projects.

 

But in between, in pieces, we’ve continued to work on the patio.

Glenn ordered string lights to provide lighting for the patio.  We both had looked at several different kinds before he found these.  They were a great deal, partly because they included the light bulbs! The kids and I were so excited the day the box arrived!  I couldn’t wait for Glenn to hang them. 

I love them!  They are so festive and pretty at night. 

See? Here they are when off during the day.

And look how pretty when they are twinkling in the evening.

 

Then there was the day in April when we moved 3, or maybe it was 4, truckloads of river rock, to put in the big bare space next to the patio.

I found the rock free on CL.  Free because it was up to us to rake it up into 5 gallon buckets, dump them onto our flatbed trailer and transport it back home.  It took several hours one Saturday, but it was worth it. 

I’m pretty sure the kids think so, too. ;)

Those boards you see laying on the rocks are for my next project!  Coming soon!

Since this post is ending up a little longer than I expected, I’ll end here for today and come back tomorrow with the rest of the changes. 

See you soon!

Painting A Ceiling Fan

The ceiling fan in the school room has long been on my mental “to-do” list.

 

In this picture, you probably don’t have quite the perspective of the visual blight that its overall appearance has been in the school room.  It was a non-pretty shade of green.

Of course I had to paint it. It just took me a little while to get around to it, and to decide what color it should be. But I finally figured it out and one day, I grabbed a screwdriver, pulled up a chair, climbed up, and took it down.  It was heavier than I expected, so I was glad Alix was close at hand to help me get it down.  This was the first time I detached a light fixture, so I was careful, and turned off the light switch.  ;)

And I took note of what color wires were twisted together.  Black with black, and white with white.  I wasn’t sure what either of them represented, other than a nasty little shock if I messed them up.  But, thank goodness, that didn’t happen.

 

I unscrewed the blades from the fan, and the little decorative metal pieces that support the screws. Don’t forget to put a little piece of tape over the exposed wires and the light bulb sockets.

 

Then shake the can of spray paint, I used Rustoleum’s Stone Gray, for several minutes.  The instructions on the can say 1 minute, but it really is better to do it longer.  The paint is less likely to sputter and I find the coat is more even on the item I am painting.

I sprayed a couple of coats, just to get a nice, even coverage.  Let it dry for several hours, and then screw the blades on and hang it back up!

Although it might not seem like much, I can’t tell you what a difference it has made in the whole look of the school room!

At least it has to me.  :)

 

Have a great day!